Collapsible window-screen.



E. T. BURROWES.. COLLAP SIBLE WINDOW SCREEN.

APPLICATION FILED JAN; 9, 1915.

1,188,409 Patented June 27, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

E. T. BURROWES.

COLLAPSIBLE WINDOW SCREEN.

' APPLICATION FILEDJAN. 9. m5.

1,188,409. Patented June 27,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

as. 2 'fl EDWARD r. :eunnowns or ron'rnnivn, MAINE.

COLLAPSIBLE WINDOW-SCREEN.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 27 1916 Application filedJanuary 9, 1915. Serial No. 1,310.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD T. BURROWEs,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county ofCumberland and State of -Maine, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Collapsible WVindoW-Screens, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to window screens of the kind employed forexcluding flies and the like, and more specifically to collapsiblescreens of this character.

The main objects of the invention are to provide a collapsible screenwhich is cheap I to manufacture, which can be packed into small space,and which may be easily applied to any ordinary window frame so as toeffectively serve its purpose.

A further object is to provide a screen which can be convenientlyshifted soas to always afford ready access to the outer shutters. Tothis end, I propose to provide a pairof rods or bars to which flexiblescreen material is secured, and on which it may be wound and unwound, asdesired, and to so construct these bars that they may be caused toengage a window'frame between the guide beads thereof and support thescreen material in operative position.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, reference is hadto the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and inwhich,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a complete window showing my improvedscreen applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the lowerpart of such a window, on an enlarged scale; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary,horizontal section through one of the window stiles and associatedparts; Fig. i is a view of a double headed tack or button pin which Imay employ" for holding the screen; Fig. 5 1s alfrag. mentary, verticalsection through the meet-' ing rails of the upper and lower sashes,showing my improved screen in stored position, and a housing forprotecting it'from the weather; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, horizontalsection through the window stile, on an enlarged scale, showing aholding strip which I may employ in some cases; Fig. 7 is a central,longitudinal section through one of the pair of bars which I employ;Fig. 8 is a similar section through the other bar; Fig.

9 is an elevation of one end of the bar shown in Fig. 7; Fig. 10 is aperspective view of the fastening devices shown in Fig. 7 Fig.11 is anelevation of the other end of the bar shown in Fig. 7; and Fig. 12 is atransverse section through the two rollers, showing my improved screenas it appears when packed for shipment.

, Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 designates the usual windowframe, and which is provided with inner and intermediate heads 2 and 3,respectively, and with an outer bead or blind stop 4.

5 designates the window sill, 6 the upper and 7 the lower sash. Thesesashes slide in g'uideways such as 8, formed between the beads, in awell known manner;

My improved screen comprises a piece of flexible screen material 9, such'as netting, formed either of Wire or of fibrous material, such ascotton or linen, suitably sized or treated. This flexible material issecured at its ends to a pair of rods or bars 10 and 10, as hereinafterdescribed.

Referring to Fig. 7, the rod 10 comprises metal having prongs 14 struckup therefrom.

This disk also preferably has prongs 15 struck therefrom and projectingfrom the opposite face thereof, as shown in Fig. 7. The disk 13 isattached to the bar 10 by means of a screw or nail 16, it being obviousthat when such nail is driven down tight, the prongs 15 will becomeembedded in the end 'o'f'the roller and thus lock the disk 13 against."rotation relative thereto.

, The opposite end of the rod 10 is provided with Y a relatively largebore 17, with a smaller bore 18 formedin-the bottom thereof. A rod orplunger 20 is arranged within the bore 17, having its inner end slidingsnugly in the bore 18, and its outer end passing freely throughablock24, securedin the outer end of the bore 17. A coil spring 19 surroundsthe rod 20 and rests at one end against the bottom of the bore 17, andat the other end against a washer 21, fitted over the rod 20, andprevented from outward movement thereon by means of a suitable stop 22.This stop can be conveniently formed by upsetting the rod at this point,in a well known manner. The outer end of the rod 20 projects somewhatbeyond the block 24, and is provided with a pointed end 23.

The bar 10 is similar in construction to the rod or bar 10,corresponding parts being indicated by similar reference characters withthe addition of the exponent a. There is this difference, however. Whilethe rod 10 is provided with a fastening device 13 adapted to bite intothe window frame, the bar 10 is provided with a smooth button or thelike 13 adapted to slide over the surface of the window frame. Thisbutton is preferably provided with a central countersink 14L for thereception of the fastening nail 16 At the opposite end of the bar 10,the pointed end of the rod 23, instead of being exposed, is embedded ina bearing block 25 having a smooth outer end. This bearing blockprojects into the bore in the bar and is capable of sliding freelytherein, the block 2 being set back slightly from the end so as toaccommodate the block 25.

lVhen packed for shipment, the screen material 9 is preferably woundpartly around both rods 10 and 10 as shown in Fig. 12. This makes anexceedingly compact package, which takes up but a small fraction of thespace occupied by the usual rigid screens and thus is very readilystored. I regard this as an important advantage of my improvedconstruction.

The bars 10 and 10 may be readily sawed off to suit the width of thewindow to which they are to be applied, and the devices 13 and 13 canthen be secured to such sawedofl ends. It will, of course, beunderstood, that the screen material may be trimmed accordingly, withshears or the like, to the proper width.

To install one of my improved screens in a window frame, the material isfirst almost entirely unwound from the bar 10, as shown in the drawing,and this roller is then fitted into the guideways of the window frameimmediately below the upper sash. To do this, the point 23 is placedagainst one of the window stiles adjacent the upper sash and pressureexerted toward the point. This causes the rod 20 to yield and recedeinto the bore 17', thus permitting the other end of the bar, carryingthe fastening device 13, to be brought up under the sash against theother window stile. Upon releasing the bar, the spring 19, actingagainst the collar 21 and the bottom of the bore 17 will exert a thrust,forcing the point 23 into the frame and at the same time causing theprongs 14 to bite into the frame at the other end of the bar. In thisway the roller, when adjusted, becomes automatically locked in positionand is held both against rotation and vertical movement.

The bar 10 is now inserted in the guideways between the beads insubstantially the same manner, the block 25 yielding sufficiently toexactly accommodate itself to the width of the window frame, and thespring exerting a thrust so as to force this block and the button 13into frictional engagement with the window stiles. It will be understoodthat this frictional engagement, while sufficient to hold the bar 10against accidental displacement, still permits of such roller being bothrotated and moved vertically. After placing the roller in posi tion,therefore, the operator can turn it so as to unroll the screen materialto any desired extent, such material being in practice unrolled untilthe bar 10 rests upon the window sill, as shown in Fig. 2. Thiscompletely closes the window opening, the edges of the screen materialresting against the inside of the blind stop 4, as clearly shown in Fig.3. These edges may be held in position if necessary, by means of doubleheaded tacks or push pins, such as illustrated at 27 in Fig. 4:. If,however, the screen material is relatively stiff, it will in many caseslie flat against the blind stop without the necessity of any fasteningmeans.

In .some windows where the blind stop may be abnormally narrow, I mayhave recourse to the construction shown in Fig. 6. By reference to thisfigure, it will be seen that I propose to provide a strip 28 which maybe formed of wood or thin L-shaped sheet metal, and which is adapted tobe secured to the edge of the blind stop as by means of nails or thelike 29. The edge of the screen material may then rest against thisstrip 28, and if fastening pins are needed, they can be inserted eitherin the crack between the strip and blind stop, or in specially formedopenings provided in the strip itself, as indicated in dotted lines inFig. 6. It will be understood that in frame constructions in which anoutside bead is employed to guide the sash, instead of the projectingblind stop, the strip 28 may be secured to the edge of such bead.

It will be obvious that the bar 10 may be readily grasped and given afew turns, or may simply be pushed upward, so as to pro vide a spacebetween itself and the sill through which access may be had to theoutside blinds or shutters. In this way, access may always be had to theshutters without the necessity of taking out the screen.

When desired, the screen may be stored in shown in Fig. 5, with the twobars substantially in contact. In order to protect the screen from theweather when in such wound position, I may provide a housing 26, whichis preferably formed of sheet metal or the like, and may conveniently besecured to the bottom rail of the upper sash in such a manner as tocover the two bars. It will be seen that with this arrangement, thescreen is entirely protected from the weather, and may, if desired, beallowed to remain permanently in this position during the winter months.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a piece of flexible screen material, of a bar toone side of which such material is secured, and on which it may bewound, said bar comprising a rigid, one-piece body of a lengthsubstantially equal to the width of the screen material, means extendingthroughout the length of said bar for attaching the screen materialthereto, and a spring-pressed plunger fitting within one end of saidbody, and adapted to engage the inside of a window frame.

2. The combination with a piece of flexible screen material, of a bar towhich such material is secured, and on which it may be wound, said barcomprising a rigid, inextensible body, of a length substantially equalto the width of the screen material, a smooth 4 bearing surface formedat one end of said body, and a spring-pressed plunger fitting within andprojecting from the opposite end thereof, said bearing surface andplunger being adapted to engage the inside of a window frame, and permitthe rotation of said bar.

3. The combination with a piece of flexible screen material, of a bar toone side of which such material is secured, and on which it may bewound, said bar having at one end a fastening device comprising aplurality of spaced prongs, and a spring for forcing said prongs lnto awindow frame to lock said bar against rotation.

4. The combination with a piece of flexible screen material, of a bar towhich such material is secured, and on which it may be wound, said barhaving attached thereto at one end a sheet metal disk provided withprongs projecting from both sides thereof,

the prongs on one side being embedded in the end of the bar, and theprongs on the other side being adapted tov bite into the window frame,so as to hold the bar against rotation.

5. The combination with a piece of flexible screen material, of a pairof bars to each of which the material is secured and on either of whichit may be wound, one of 7 said bars having atits ends fastening meansand exert a thrust against said fastening device to lock the bar inposition, and the other of said bars having one end smooth and at theother a spring-pressed plunger adapted to bear against the window frameand exert a thrust against the smooth end to cause such end tofrictionally engage the window frame. a

7. The combination with a windowhaving the usual sash, and guidewaystherefor, of a flexible screen, a bar on which said screen may be wound,said bar having its ends extending into the sash guideways and movabletherealong, and a weather guard secured to the lower edge of said sashand so located as to house said bar and the screen material woundthereon when the sash is up and the bar in raised position.

8. The combination with a window frame having the usual blind stop, of astrip secured to the edge of said blind stop and having its inner faceadjacent that surface of said stop which forms one side of the usualsash guideway, and flexible screen material extending across the windowopening and resting atits edge against such 'inner face of said strip.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

EDWARD T. BURROWES.

Witnesses: 7

GEORGE P. TURNER, ALICE M. GURNEY.

Jopiea 0! this patent may be obtained for five cent: each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0.

